Feather-washing machine



April 6 1926. w 1,579,707

- w. HOOD FEATHER WASHING MACHINE Filed Sept. 2, 1924 a Shets-Sheei 1 A ril 6,1926.

W. HOOD Filed Sept. 2, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 hlWIllv Patented Apr. 6, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM 3001), or SAN FRANCISCO, canine-aura.

FEATHER-WASHING. MACHINE.

- Application filed September 2, 1924. Serial No. 735,337.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM Hoon, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Featherashing Machine, of which the following is a specificascreen continuously while the screen and.

stirring element are in operation. 1

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved machine for washing feathers and the like. I

Another object is to provide an improved machine adapted to permit the introduction and removal of feathers while the machine is in operation.

A, further object is to provide a machine of thecharacter described which will quickly and effectively clean the feather-s and separate all dirt and refuse therefrom.

Another. object is to provide a device which will facilitate the cleaning and drying of feathers in large quantities.

A still further object is to provide a device wherein a stirring element is arranged to agitate feathers to be cleaned in a detera gent solutionand to create a current in the solution whereby the feathers are moved forwardly through the machine and dirt and refuse separated from the feathers. I

I accomplish these and other objects by means of the device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present specification wherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar parts throughout said specification and drawings and in which, 7 4

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my improved feather washing machine.

Figs. 2 and 3 are left andlight end elevations respectively of the machine as shown in Fig. 1.' i

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section taken upon the line k4.- of Fig. 1 in the direction indicated. l

Figl' 5 is a broken side elevation ofione end of the machine. J L R ferr g-to th dr i gs t e-num r l l is used to designate in general a tank adapted to receive a quantityof a detergent solution adapted for the cleaning of feathers and the like. A pair of parallel shafts 2 eX- tend longitudinally through theftank said shafts being spaced horizontally.

A cylindrical screen 3is mounted for r0- tation Within the tank '1, said screen being.

open at both ends and being providedwith annular gearportions 4t and 6 mounted adjacent the ends. The gear portions 4 and 6 mesh with gears 7 secured in pairs incorresponding positions upon the shafts 2 the weight of the screen being supported upon the pairs of gears so that rotation of the shafts 2 will cause arotation of the cylindrical screen 3 within the tank. One end of the screen is arranged in proximate relation with an end'of thetank 1. The opposite end of the screen is provided with a solid sleeve portion 8 the end of which is spaced away from the adjacent end of the tank.

A pan 9 is secured upon the end of the tank 1, said pan extending across the end of the tank and having an arcuate bottom underlying the end of the sleeve portion 8 of the screen in slightly spaced relation thereto to form a narrow passage 10 between said sleeveand the pan for a purpose hereinafter more fully explained.

A stirring element is mounted for rotation within the cylindrical screen 3, said element consisting of a shaft 11 centrally disposed with respect to the screen and provided with a plurality of stirrers 12 secured in longitudinally and angularly spaced relation defining a. spiral along the shaft. The stirrers 12 are preferably formed from round rods threaded into the shaft at one end and having the other end flattened and slightly twisted with respect to the axis of the rod in the shape of a propeller blade. The tank 1' is filled with solution to a point slightly'below the shaft 11 sothat the stirrers will dip into the surface of the solution when the shaft 11 is rotated "as hereinafter described and thereby create a forward current in the upper portion of thesolution for a purpose hereinafter more fully explained.

The shafts 2 are driven simultaneously in the same direction and at thesame speed by means of a chain 13 mounted:oversprockets 14 secured upon the endsof thershafts, power being applied to one of said shafts 2 through a pulley 16 secured thereom The shaft 11 is r en y. me ns oi a iaa--l memit rl over a small sprocket 18 secured upon the end of the shaft 11 and a large sprocket 19 secured upon the power shaft 2 whereby the stirring element is rotated in the same direction as the shafts 2 but at a greater speed. The screen 3, being driven by the gears 7, is caused to rotate in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the stirring element so that when the machine is in operation the screen and the stirring element will be rotated simultaneously in opposite directions and at different speeds.

A conduit 21 is connected into the end of the tank 1 to communicate with the interior of screen 3 at the end remote from'the sleeve 8 and pan 9, feathers being introduced into the screen through said conduit by means of asuitable blower, not shown.

A conveyor 22 is mounted upon the opposite end of the tank 1, said conveyer consisting of a chain passing over suitable sprockets 23 mounted upon shafts 24 and 25, one of which is positioned below the level of the solution within the tank and the other positioned above the top of the tank. A plurality of dippers 26 provided with screen bottoms 27 are secured upon the chain and arranged to be moved by said chain along a path immediately adjacent the pan 9 and thence upwardly along the inclined path to a point above the top of the tank. The conveyer 22 is driven by means of gears 28 and 29 mounted upon the shafts 11 and 2e respectively.

A pair of proximate rollers 31 are mounted upon suitable supports secured upon the upper edge of the tank 1, said rollers being geared together by means of gears 82 and actuated by a chain 33 driven by a sprocket- 3 l mounted upon the end of the shaft 11 and operating the rollers through suitable reduction gears 36 and S7. A chute 38 is mounted between the upper portion of the conveyer and the rollers to receive feathers from the conveyer and direct said feathers between the rollers.

In operation, power is applied from any suitable source, not shown, through the pulley 16 to rotate the screen and stirring element and to operate the. conveyer and the rollers 31 as above described, thetank being filled with detergent solution to a point slightly below the level of the shaft 11. Feathers are now blown into the rotating screen 3 through the conduit 21.

The rotation of the stirring element causes the stirrers to agitate the feathers in the solution. At the same time, the propeller shape of the stirrers causes a currentv to be set up in the upper portion of the solution which will carry the feathers forwardly through the screen. The movement of; the feathers through the solution causesthe feathers to be thoroughly cleaned any dirt -or;-refiise lpresentto be-separated from the feathers, such dirt and refuse passing through the interstices of the screen and settling to the bottom of the tank as the feathers are moved forwardly through the tank.

The feathers are carried by the action of the stirrers and the current caused thereby into the space above the pan 9. As the conveyer moves along itspath above the pan the dippers 26 are moved into the solution and upon the upward movement scoop up feathers from the solution, the solution being drained off through the screen bottoms of the dippers and the feathers elevated to a point above the top of the tank. As the dippers are moved over the upper sprocket 23 the feathers drop off onto the chute and are directed thereby between the rotating rollers 31 whereby any solution which has not drained off from the feathers is squeezed out.

The current caused by the stirrerscauses a return flow of the solution through the passage 10 between the pan 9 and the sleeve portion 8 of the screen thereby flushing any dirt or refuse whichmay be carried forward with the feathers into the pan back into the tank 1, such dirt and refuse settling in the forward end of the tank due to an eddy caused by the circulation of the solution through the tank and around the pan 9.

From the above'explanation it willbe seen that feathers may be introduced continuous ly into one end of the rotating screen 3'and removed by means of the conveyer 22 from the opposite end of thescreen, in this manner permitting feathers to be washed and cleaned by a substantially continuous process whereby large quantities of feathers may be efficiently cleaned.

Having'thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. A feather washing machine comprising a tank adapted to receive a detergent solu tion; a cylindrical screenmounted within the tank; means for introducing feathers to be cleaned into one end of the screen; a stirring element mounted within the screen and pro vided with a plurality of propeller shaped stirrers adapted to agitate the feathers within the solution and to create a current to carry the feathers forwardly through the screen; means for rotating the screen and the stirring element simultaneously in opposite directions; a pan in association with the other end of the screen to receive feathers from said screen; and a conveyor mounted adjacent said end of the screen and operating within said pan to remove the feathers from the solution.

.A feather washingmachine comprising a tank adapted to receive a detergent solu'- tion;- a-cylind-rical screen mounted for rotation within the tank; .ineans-for introducing -feathersfte beeleaned-dntopne end of the screen; a stirring element mounted for rotation within the screen, said element being provided with a plurality of propeller shaped stirrers adapted to agitate the feathers within the solution and to create a current in said solution to carry the feathers ed to scoop up feathers from the pan and re,

move said feathers from the tank.

3. A feather washing machine comprising a tank adapted to receive a detergent solution; a cylindrical screen mounted for rotation within the tank; means for introducing feathers into one end ofthe screen; a stirring element mounted for rotation within the screen, said stirring element being provided with a plurality of propeller'shaped stirrers adapted to agitate the feathers within the solution and to create a current in said solution to carry thefeathers forwardly through the screen; a pan mounted in association with the other end of the screen to receive feathers from said screen, said pan underlying the end of the screen and being slightly spaced below the end of the screen to form a passage between said pan and the end of the screen through which dirt from the feathers may be carried by the current set up by the stirrers; and a conveyer mounted adjacent the end of the screen and provided with a plurality of screen bottomed clippers adapted to scoop up feathers from the pan and remove said feathers from the reservoir.

i. A feather washing machine comprising a tank adapted to receive a detergent solution; a pair of parallel shafts mounted within the tank and extending longitudinally therethrough; gears mounted in corresponding positions upon said shafts; a cylindrical screen provided with annular gear portions adjacent the ends, said gear portions meshing with the gears carried by the propeller shafts and supporting the weight of the cylinder whereby a rotation of the shafts operates to rotate the cylinder within the tank; means for introducing feathers to be cleaned into one end of the cylindricalscreen; a stirring element mounted within the screen and consisting of a shaft extending longitudinally through the tank and provided with a plurality of propeller shaped stirrers adapted to agitate the feathers in the solution and to create a current in said solutionto carry the feathers forwardly through the screen; means connecting one of the screen supporting shafts with the stirring element shaft for rotating the stirring elementin a direction opposite to the rotation of thescreen and at a greater speed; and a conveyer mounted adjacent the opposite end of the screen and provided with a plurality of screen bottomed clippers for removing the feathers from the tank.

5. Afeather washing machine comprising a tank adapted to receive a detergent solution; a pair of parallel SlltftSlllOlll'ltGd within the; tank and extending longitudinally therethrough; gears mounted in correspondiug positions upon said shafts; a cylindrical F screen open at both ends, one endbeing positioned against one end of the reservoir and the other end provided with a solid sleeve having the outer end spaced from the adjacent end of the tank, said screen being provided with annular gear portions meshing with the gears upon the parallel shafts and supporting the weight of the cylinders whereby a rotation of said shafts operates to rotate the screen; a pan mounted within the reservoir adjacent to and underlying the sleeve upon the cylindrical screen, said sleeve being slightly spaced below the sleeve to form a narrow passage therebetween; means for introducing feathers into the opposite end of the screen; a stirring element mounted within the cylindrical screen and consisting of a centrally disposed shaft provided with a pluralityof propeller shaped stirrers adapted to agitate the feathers within the solution and to create a current in said solu tion to carry the feathers forwardly through the screen dirt and refuse being carried from the pan through the passage between said pan and the sleeve; means connecting one of the screen supporting shafts with the StlT- ring element shaft for rotating the stirring v element in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the screen and at a great er speed; and a conveyer mounted adjacent the end of the sleeve and provided with a plurality of clippers adapted to scoop feathers from above the pan and remove said feathers from the tank.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my signature.

WILLIAM HOOD.

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